The Stills
Sun, Sep 17, 12:30 PM AT&T Stage Stage
When the Stills released their debut album, 2003s Logic Will Break Your Heart, the Montreal quintet was quickly pegged by some as the Canadian Strokes. Whether that was a good or bad thing compliment or snide dismissal of course depended on ones opinion of both the Stills and their supposed American counterparts, but the brand wasnt entirely unwarranted. The Stills certainly seemed to wear their New York City indie-band influences (a result of a short spell living in the Big Apple) on their sleeves, not to mention the fact that the band members all boasted skinny frames and lofty, model-esque cheekbones. But the second time around, Stills frontman Tim Fletcher, guitarist Dave Hamelin, keyboardist Liam ONeil, bassist Oliver Corbeil and drummer Julien Blais served notice that they werent about to be judged by their pretty faces or mistaken for anyone on the current rock scene but themselves. The Stillss sophomore effort, this years superior Without Feathers, reveals what AllMusic.com calls a a complete reinvention for the Montreal quartet, with most all traces of neo-New Wave replaced with a decidedly organic, gritty approach closer in spirit to early 70s Elton John, the Kinks and David Bowie.
www.thestills.net